2011 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
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![]() Red counties represent wins by Prosser, and blue counties represent wins by Kloppenburg. The darker the shading, the higher the margin of victory for that particular candidate. | |||||||||||||||||
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The Wisconsin Supreme Court election of 2011 took place on Tuesday, April 5, 2011. Unlike past elections for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the race between 12-year incumbent David Prosser, Jr. and challenger Assistant Attorney General JoAnne Kloppenburg gained significant nationwide publicity as it was widely seen as a referendum on Governor Scott Walker's proposed budget reforms in Wisconsin, and a part of the 2011 Wisconsin protests.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
Campaign
Labor organizations and tea party groups explicitly making the connection[10][11] while Governor Walker himself stating it was not.[12] On Tuesday, April 5, one seat in the Wisconsin Supreme Court was up for election. The court currently has a conservative majority of 4-2-1 with Prosser identifying as a conservative and the seventh justice[13] considered a swing vote. Both candidates stated their unhappiness with the increasingly partisan nature of the race.[14]
As the race became increasingly nationalized, Prosser was endorsed by former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.[15] Kloppenburg was endorsed by Prosser's campaign co-chairman and former Governor Patrick Lucey, who resigned from the post as he made the announcement.[16]
Results
On April 6, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, with 100% of precincts reporting and absentee ballots all tallied, had Kloppenburg maintaining a 204 vote lead.[17] Recanvassing began the next day to verify to election results, and errors were found in counties favoring both contestants; Prosser gained votes from Winnebago and Waukesha, while Kloppenburg regained ground from a scattering of other counties, including Grant, Portage, Door, Iowa, Rusk, Vernon, and Shawano.[18] A news conference on April 7, held by the County Clerk of Waukesha County reported the existence of errors in Brookfield, Wisconsin where votes were never submitted to the Waukesha County total due to human error and that Prosser had picked up a 7,500-vote margin over Kloppenburg in the county as a result. In response, the Kloppenburg campaign filed an Open Records request for the contact records of the Waukesha County Clerk and a request was filed with the region's US Attorney to impound the additional ballots.[19]
As of April 8, 2011, Waukesha County's turnout was officially 47% (increased from 42% before the correction).[20] Statewide turnout during the election was officially 33%. On election day, Deputy Clerk Gina Kozlik had estimated turnout in the county to be 20-25%,[21] with up to 35% turnout in some polling locations within the county.[22] Nate Silver of Fivethirtyeight.com did an analysis on the turnout numbers and found the Waukesha results to be in line with previous elections.[23] An independent investigation into the actions of Waukesha County Clerk found probable cause to believe that she violated the state law requiring county clerks to post all returns on Election Night, but concluded that the violation was not willful and therefore did not constitute criminal misconduct.[24]
The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board announced on April 8 that they were sending voting officials to Waukesha County to confirm the 14,315 votes that were found to never have been submitted from Brookfield.[25] On April 15, Prosser was named the official winner by 7,316 votes after all county canvassing was completed.[26] On April 20, Kloppenburg asked for a recount. The recount began on Wednesday, April 27 and must finish by May 9.[27]
At the end of May 9, all Wisconsin counties aside from Waukesha had completed their recount process. In response, a Dane County judge gave them an extension until May 26 to complete the recount process. It was reported that Waukesha County was counting only one ward at a time and, on May 9, moved to a larger area in the Waukesha County courthouse in order to count two wards at one time. This is much slower than the rest of the counties, adjacent Milwaukee County reportedly counted eight wards simultaneously. Waukesha County reportedly took extra steps to ensure all votes were counted correctly.[28]
On May 20, the recount was completed across the state with Prosser leading by 7,006 votes.[29] On May 23, the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board confirmed Prosser won the election.[30]
County results
County | won by |
Prosser % |
Prosser votes |
Kloppenburg % |
Kloppenburg votes |
Adams | K | 48% | 2,393 | 52% | 2,559 |
Ashland | K | 30% | 1,383 | 70% | 3,266 |
Barron | P | 50% | 4,709 | 50% | 4,640 |
Bayfield | K | 33% | 1,957 | 67% | 3,954 |
Brown | P | 55% | 33,319 | 45% | 27,206 |
Buffalo | P | 51% | 1,684 | 49% | 1,604 |
Burnett | P | 54% | 1,932 | 46% | 1,675 |
Calumet | P | 62% | 7,498 | 38% | 4,642 |
Chippewa | K | 49% | 6,856 | 51% | 7,226 |
Clark | P | 58% | 4,335 | 42% | 3,101 |
Columbia | K | 45% | 7,302 | 55% | 8,959 |
Crawford | K | 41% | 1,689 | 59% | 2,428 |
Dane | K | 27% | 48,627 | 73% | 133,513 |
Dodge | P | 61% | 13,373 | 39% | 8,519 |
Door | P | 53% | 5,183 | 47% | 4,633 |
Douglas | K | 31% | 3,814 | 69% | 8,674 |
Dunn | K | 44% | 4,076 | 56% | 5,164 |
Eau Claire | K | 42% | 11,217 | 58% | 15,691 |
Florence | P | 62% | 799 | 38% | 483 |
Fond du Lac | P | 61% | 15,931 | 39% | 10,180 |
Forest | P | 56% | 1,531 | 44% | 1,196 |
Grant | K | 44% | 4,396 | 56% | 5,697 |
Green | K | 45% | 4,881 | 55% | 5,860 |
Green Lake | P | 65% | 3,778 | 35% | 2,049 |
Iowa | K | 38% | 2,378 | 62% | 3,812 |
Iron | K | 45% | 760 | 55% | 937 |
Jackson | K | 45% | 2,224 | 55% | 2,686 |
Jefferson | P | 58% | 13,238 | 42% | 9,741 |
Juneau | K | 48% | 2,534 | 52% | 2,697 |
Kenosha | K | 47% | 14,256 | 53% | 16,135 |
Kewaunee | P | 58% | 3,331 | 42% | 2,404 |
La Crosse | K | 41% | 12,114 | 59% | 17,369 |
Lafayette | K | 48% | 2,034 | 52% | 2,199 |
Langlade | P | 58% | 2,668 | 42% | 1,895 |
Lincoln | P | 50% | 3,575 | 50% | 3,542 |
Manitowoc | P | 61% | 12,211 | 39% | 7,752 |
Marathon | P | 54% | 17,131 | 46% | 14,823 |
Marinette | P | 55% | 4,980 | 45% | 4,082 |
Marquette | P | 56% | 2,220 | 44% | 1,726 |
Menominee | K | 37% | 141 | 63% | 241 |
Milwaukee | K | 43% | 98,933 | 57% | 128,644 |
Monroe | K | 49% | 4,511 | 51% | 4,689 |
Oconto | P | 57% | 5,199 | 43% | 3,852 |
Oneida | P | 52% | 5,515 | 48% | 5,135 |
Outagamie | P | 57% | 24,775 | 43% | 18,885 |
Ozaukee | P | 72% | 20,844 | 28% | 8,295 |
Pepin | K | 47% | 888 | 53% | 983 |
Pierce | K | 45% | 4,053 | 55% | 4,905 |
Polk | P | 51% | 4,663 | 49% | 4,439 |
Portage | K | 40% | 8,111 | 60% | 12,039 |
Price | P | 52% | 2,165 | 48% | 2,025 |
Racine | P | 56% | 28,204 | 44% | 22,518 |
Richland | K | 45% | 1,798 | 55% | 2,180 |
Rock | K | 40% | 14,626 | 60% | 22,145 |
Rusk | P | 53% | 2,220 | 47% | 1,941 |
Sauk | K | 44% | 7,170 | 56% | 9,188 |
Sawyer | P | 51% | 2,120 | 49% | 2,059 |
Shawano | P | 61% | 5,535 | 39% | 3,550 |
Sheboygan | P | 63% | 19,531 | 37% | 11,407 |
St. Croix | P | 51% | 8,272 | 49% | 7,953 |
Taylor | P | 61% | 3,650 | 39% | 2,291 |
Trempealeau | K | 46% | 2,878 | 54% | 3,330 |
Vernon | K | 45% | 3,578 | 55% | 4,307 |
Vilas | P | 60% | 4,204 | 40% | 2,820 |
Walworth | P | 61% | 14,233 | 39% | 8,929 |
Washburn | K | 48% | 2,275 | 52% | 2,453 |
Washington | P | 76% | 30,788 | 24% | 9,903 |
Waukesha | P | 74% | 92,173 | 26% | 32,729 |
Waupaca | P | 59% | 7,204 | 41% | 4,938 |
Waushara | P | 60% | 3,395 | 40% | 2,300 |
Winnebago | P | 52% | 19,991 | 48% | 18,421 |
Wood | K | 49% | 8,844 | 51% | 9,274 |
References
- ^ By CHRIS BURY (@ChrisBuryABC) (2011-04-07). "Wisconsin Election Results: Conservative David Prosser Retakes Lead in Supreme Court Race". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
- ^ Davey, Monica (2011-04-04). "Wisconsin Election Is Referendum on Governor". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
- ^ "Tuesday's Wisconsin Supreme Court election morphs into referendum on Scott Walker". Minnpost.com. 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
- ^ "Justice's race now a governor's referendum". Washingtontimes.com. 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
- ^ "Wisconsin Supreme Court race becomes referendum on union bargaining law". Greenbaypressgazette.com. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
- ^ Scott Walker's nonpartisan doppelganger [dead link]
- ^ Ungar, Rick (2011-04-06). "Scott Walker's Election Nightmare in Wisconsin". Blogs.forbes.com. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
- ^ Wis. election seen as referendum on governor [dead link]
- ^ Steven Elbow (2011-03-23). "Enraged by Walker, activists put Kloppenburg's Supreme Court campaign on their shoulders". Host.madison.com. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
{{cite web}}
: Text "The Capital Times" ignored (help) - ^ Heavy-spending groups try to make Wis. Supreme Court race a referendum on divisive union law [dead link]
- ^ "Prosser down, but unions fail in bid to repudiate Walker". Lakelandtimes.com. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
- ^ Posted: 2:49 pm CDT April 6, 2011 (2011-04-06). "Walker Says Supreme Court Race Wasn't Referendum On Him". Channel3000.com. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Wisconsin Law Journal Blog Archive: Crooks still Supreme Court's swing vote". Wislawjournal.com. 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ "Supreme Court Candidates Unhappy With Partisan Aspect in Race - WTAQ News Talk 97.5FM and 1360AM". Wtaq.com. 2011-03-15. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ "Palin endorses Prosser in Wis. Supreme Court race". Wxow.com. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ Ex-Gov. Lucey resigns as Prosser's honorary campaign co-chair, endorses Kloppenburg
- ^ "TODAY'S TMJ4 Election". Elections.todaystmj4.com. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ http://elections.wispolitics.com Vote updates being posted.
- ^ "Corrected Brookfield tally puts Prosser ahead after 7,500-vote gain". JSOnline. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ "Prosser's huge gain comes after Waukesha County flub is caught". JSOnline. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ "WisPolitics Election Blog: Turnout high in Appleton". Elections.wispolitics.com. 2011-04-05. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ Millard, Sarah (2011-04-05). "Voter Turnout Could be 35% at Some Waukesha Polling Locations". Waukesha.patch.com. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ Silver, Nate (2011-04-08). "Vote-Counting Error In Wisconsin Points to Incompetence, Not Conspiracy". The New York Times.
- ^ G.A.B. Releases Report of Independent Investigation into Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus
- ^ "Prosser camp open to Waukesha County-only recount". JSOnline. 2011-04-09. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ "Ballots are now totaled: Prosser wins by 7,316". JSOnline. 2011-04-16. Retrieved 2011-04-21.
- ^ "May 9 deadline set for Supreme Court recount". JSOnline. 2011-04-25. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
- ^ Craig Gilbert, Patrick Marley and Laurel Walker (2011-05-09). "Recount cuts little from Prosser lead". JSOnline. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
- ^ Patrick Marley, Larry Sandler and Mike Johnson (2011-05-20). "Prosser wins recount in Wisconsin Supreme Court race". JSOnline. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
- ^ State board declares Prosser winner